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Explorator Fleet VX-7743.II
Explorator Fleet VX-7743.II hails from the Forge World of Stygies VIII and is led by Archmagos Explorator Erridan Kraus. The fleet has taken a far more martial approach to its Quest of Knowledge and maintains a large host of Mechanicum ground elements and numerous war ships in its arsenal. This has led to either the destruction or conquering of numerous planets in the name of the Omnissiah, be they xenos, rebel, or chaos held worlds. Dozens of planets have been broken by the Fleet under the ruthless command of Erridan Kraus for the secrets held by its inhabitants. Having scoured the Segmentum Pacificus for decades during its Quest for Knowledge, the fleet has become a battle hardened and welcome addition to Imperial forces. Now operating within the Eressa Sector and acting as the sole voice of authority for the Mechanicum in the region, Archmagos Erridan Kraus seeks to not only further the Mechanicum's agenda in the Sector but to also advance his own personal ambitions in the region. History Current Status Campaigns * Cleansing of Doritan 649-650.M41 - Following the discovery of an archive stack upon Tirthond which mentioned a penal mining world within the Grimmax System lost to Greenskins during the Marcharian Heresy, the Explorator Fleet made haste to seize the spoils of rediscovery for themselves. A bloody campaign of genocide saw the Greenskins of Doritan purged in their entirety, freeing the embattled population from around 300 years of constant warfare. Following their emancipation from the Ork presence, the people of Doritan pledged their fealty to Kraus due to believing he was the prophet of their God come to save them. Kraus used this and the fact that no other Imperial organization was there to challenge him to claim the planet as his fiefdom, ruling as its planetary governor on behalf of Mars, the Mechanicum, and Stygies VIII. It is said..... Notable Engagements Notable Discoveries * Doritan * Space Hulk Ephialtes * Notable Personnel Archmagos Erridan Kraus - Logis Lexico Arcanus Quintus Lorren - Logis Lexico Arcanus Quintus Lorren is the Captain of the Forge Ship X-3915 and is master of Power Station XK-221 upon Stygies VIII which is sworn to supply power, troops, and supplies to Archmagos Erridan Kraus' Forge Temple. Logis Quintus Lorren is a mathematical genius, renowned for his almost supernatural ability to calculate the costs, time, and goods needed for orders from his Forge Ship. Under his leadership, forge ship X-3915 is able to not only supply the Explorator Fleet with weapons, supplies, and war machines but also the Tirithond and the Eressa Sector as a whole (to a certain extent). Lorren is content in his station, seeing his life as merely a cog in the Omnissiah's great machinations for the Mechanicum. Though content, Quintus Lorren is a man who understands that he must leverage what he can from those who would requisition from his Forge Ship and has become quite the political animal over the years, earning favors across the Eressa Sector and aggregating influence amongst the men and women of the Imperium who would call upon X-3915's forges for supplies. Admiral Tiberius Sforza - Charged with command of the Fleet's war ships, Admiral Tiberius Sforza was hired by Archmagos Erridan Kraus after the Archmagos was given the former vice-admiral's combat records and personal recommendation from the Patriarch of the Navigator House Vardan. A dishonorably discharged Vice-Admiral of the Imperial Navy, Tiberius Sforza is a man who was not bested in battle nor thwarted by his own military blunders but court marshaled for insubordination and striking a superior officer. Any man other man would have been executed for such crimes but it was Kraus' intervention alone that spared him the executioner's block. Known for his daring battle plans along with his glory-hounding usage of unpopular close range broadsides and boarding actions, Sforza caught the attention of Kraus after his last engagement against a Greenskin Freebooters fleet. Being charged with command of his Battle-Group's Vanguard, Sforza fought tooth and nail against the Greenskins in devastating close ranged combat in the opening stages of the naval engagement until the full might of both fleets joined the fray and dozens of warships clashed in the cold void. The battle was going neither to the Imperium nor the Greenskins until the Admiral of the Battle-Group called a full retreat after his Flagship had been badly damaged when he exposed his flank to a Greenskin vessel's ramming action. Deciding to ignore his admiral's orders, Tiberius fought on as did the rest of the Vanguard, fighting a desperate rearguard action. Sforza sacrificed his own flagship in a desperate ramming action against the Greenskin Warboss' own vessel after overloading the Void Shield Generators which destroyed both vessels in a massive explosion. Escaping with the surviving members of his crew upon escape pods, Sforza boarded a battered Cruiser and fought on against the Greenskins. His heroism and the sacrifice of his personal ship gave the rest of the Imperial forces renewed courage and what was turning into a full scale route quickly turned into a Pyrrhic Imperial Victory. After the battle, Sforza was summoned onto the deck of his Admiral's flagship where he expected to be praised and lauded for his actions. Instead, Sforza was sentenced to a Court Marshal for disobeying his commanding officer's orders and blamed for the loss of almost a dozen Imperial vessels along with being accused of unnecessarily sacrificing his cruiser for what the Admiral deemed 'fleeting glory'. This tirade of lies angered Sforza to no end but it was the accusation of 'fleeting glory' that snapped his self control. Before anyone else on the deck could react, Sforza's right mechanical fist smashed into the admiral's jaw, shattering bone, and left the man on the floor unconscious. Tiberius stormed off the deck prepared to face his execution but it was the intervention of Archmagos Erridan Kraus that stayed the Admiral's wrath. Tiberius Sforza is now fiercely loyal to Kraus, leading his warships into battle with such courage and daring that few men can claim to be his equal and yet be of such a sound tactical mind. However, Tiberius' insubordinate nature has given Kraus no small amount of headaches and the admiral has also cost the Archmagos a few vessels in overly aggressive strategies wherein a more cool-headed approach might have saved them from destruction. However, despite these 'costs' to Kraus, Tiberius has proven his worth many times over by winning battles and skirmishes against xenos, pirates, and rebels when Kraus was almost certain his fleet would have been destroyed, only saved by the daring actions of Tiberius and his ability to read the battlefield of the void as Kraus can read the status of his machines. Secutor Viktor Mikael - Secutor Viktor Mikael is master of the Fleet's Auxilia Myrmidon forces raised from Archmagos Erridan Kraus' Forge Temple and serves as the Archmagos' most trusted lackey. Raised under the direct tutelage of Erridan to be his right hand, he is a zealous fanatic whose loyalty to Kraus is unquestionable. A large, powerful brute, Viktor is a massive being, standing slightly taller than even the Thallax of the Ordo Reductor and wields weapons that are often too large for most Tech-Priests to wield. The flesh that once made up the body of Viktor has long since been stripped from his person. Now, Viktor is a giant machine with six mechadendrite arms, four spider-like legs, thick ceramite plating, and a faceplate with a built in rebreather which is purposefully loud and menacing. He serves as Kraus' hound, leading his forces in campaigns that no other general can be trusted. Despite reveling in slaughter, Viktor is a sound tactician. His only true ambition is to remain as Kraus' right hand and to see his master's visions come to fruition so long as he is given leave to command his armies. He bears no love for any other general within the Explorator Fleet, seeing them as rivals and threats to his position. In particular, he holds Magos Reductor Xelia Veridan as his most hated and feared rival, for her skill as a siege expert and her fighting ability has left him fearful for his position. Magos Reductor Xelia Veridan - Magos Reductor Xelia Veridan is master of the Ordo Reductor elements of the Explorator Fleet, replacing the late Magos Reductor Akiel Erittia. Tall, broad, and heavily augmented, the Master of the Ordo Recutor of the fleet is terrifying for any non-Mechanicum person to behold, bringing even a certain level of unease to the other Magi of the expedition. Having sacrificed her once beautiful body to fulfill her duty, Xelia's frame is now that of a Thallax with heavy augmentation introducing extra armor plating, mechadendrites, and numerous life support systems. More than a match for many other warriors, Xelia is not only a skilled fighter but expert in siege warfare, having served numerous Magi of Stygies VIII as a general or field commander. She now leads Kraus' Ordo Reductor elements and is most often found in the thickest of the fighting. Bearing no love for Kraus or any other members of the explorator fleet, Xelia is seen as an outsider and is often seen alone, only ever intermingling with those outside of her Ordo when discussing strategy. Magos Dominus Jezzial Vaks - Magos Domins Jezzial Vaks is lord of a large mining temple which is oathbound to provide Erridan Kraus' Forge Temple with mineral resources and manpower in exchange for protection, wargear, and supplies. Jezzial has been given the Fleet's Battle Servitors and Legio Cybernetica forces after showing expertise in leading Battle-Automata alongside Kraus when he was but a Secutor. An older Techpriest, Jezzial commands his forces from atop a ..... Astropath John Wilmington - John Wilmington is an Astropath hailing from a minor noble family from sacred Terra itself. An elderly and frail man now, John has served the Magi of Stygies VIII since he was a young man, being deployed from Terra to act as one of the Forge World's Astropathic Choir. He befriended Kraus as a young man, the two being of similar age, and they spoke at great lengths about the galaxy, its wonders and its horrors. It was through this friendship that John became an honorary member of the Xenarite 'Cult' of Stygies VIII and his interest in xenos psychic technology, most especially that of the Aeldari. John served the Forge World faithfully, sending and deciphering astropathic messages across the Imperium, though in his spare time he would study what few Aeldari artifacts that Kraus had stored away in his secret vaults. The two would spend countless hours trying to understand the nature of a specific force staff of the Aeldari which Kraus' father had captured long ago but failed to unlock its secrets. Despite serving faithfully, John was tired of his monotonous life as an astropath and longed to venture forth from the Forge World to see the galaxy and study more xenos technology like he had done with Erridan for so long on within his vaults. In fact, John was a decisive element in Kraus' decision to become an Explorator. Kraus, after attaining the rank of Archmagos, was able to sequester John from the Astropathic Choir of Stygies VIII by calling in a few favors and now John serves Kraus as both a loyal friend and faithful servant, acting as the Chief Astropath of the Explorator Fleet. Navigator Sarah of House Vardan - Naval Strength Explorator Fleet XV-7743.II would at first appear to be quite a large fleet on paper due to containing 12 vessels, yet the fleet is host to numerous non-combat oriented vessels. The Fleet in of itself is a mixed force of transport, manufactory, combat, and supply ships serving different roles in the Quest for Knowledge. Of the fleet, only 7 vessels are dedicated combat vessels and these consist of 1 Battleship, 1 Cruiser, 2 Light Cruisers, and 4 Frigates. The rest of the fleet consists of 1 Forge Ship, 2 Forge Tenders, 1 Troop Transport, and 1 Bulk Supply Transport Ship. Yet, despite almost half of the fleet being non-combat oriented ships, the Explorator Fleet is capable of putting of a good fight and has beaten back larger fleets with more warships due to the tactical brilliance and rather rash nature of Admiral Tiberius Sforza. The numbers of the fleet has fluctuated as smaller warships have been lost and replaced but the average number of ships tends to stay around 12 vessels. Vessels of Note Ark Mechanicus B-209 - The flagship of Explorator Fleet XV-7743.II, the B-209 Ark Mechanicus Battleship, is the most powerful vessel of the fleet and serves as the command center for Archmagos Erridan Kraus. B-209 is designed to be a jack of all trades and is capable of serving as a ship of the line, orbital bombardment platform, carrier, and troop transport. However, being proficient in all these roles means that B-209 excels at none and will struggle in void engagements against specialized combat vessels of even smaller tonnage and will be at a great disadvantage against vessels of it's own class. As a troop transport and carrier, the B-209 house numerous fighter, bomber, and transport craft but cannot match either the carrier vessels in the the number of bomber and fighter craft it carries nor the large troop transport vessels in the numbers of ground forces it can disgorge at once at such a rapid pace. It's forward bombardment cannon is based on Astartes Battle Barge Bombardment cannons and is just as devastating but ammunition is not nearly as plentiful due to much of the ammunition stores being taken up by other macro-weapons and housing for ground troops and void craft. Yet, the Ark Mechanicus B-209 is a strong and hardy vessel, having served the Forge World of Stygies VIII for many millennia and is considered a vessel of sacred importance to those of the planet. Though not the specialized tool most Imperial Navy Officers would prefer, only a fool would discard the immense destructive potential housed in the sacred halls of B-209. Dominator Class Cruiser L-791 - The L-791 is the primary ship of the line in Explorator Fleet XV-7743.II and serves as the tip of the spear during naval engagements, taking point in the fleet's battle-line. The L-791 has given up the standard Nova Cannon at its prow in exchange for extensive armor plating being added to the already reinforced bulkhead so that even under the most brutal of barrages, the Cruiser will come out ready to fight. This ship is commanded by Admiral Tiberius Sforza and, despite its ramshackle appearance due to it's mostly unadorned armor plating being slapped onto its hull, has a high tally count of enemy vessels brought low by its powerful macro-cannon batteries. Forge Ship X-3915 - Commanded by Logis Lexico Arcanus Quintus Lorren, Forge Ship X-9315 is a behemoth of plasteel and rockrete in slow orbit around Tirithond. Its forges working ceaselessly to produce weapons, armor, munitions, and some vehicles so as to supply the forces of the Imperium within the Eressa Sector so that they may stem the tide of xenos encroaching upon humanity's domain. However, despite it's ability to outproduce the entirety of the Sector's Imperial held planets, the Forge Ship is not capable of supplying all the Sector's military, not to mention civilian, goods. Therefore, the master of the Forge Ship must prioritize the various production orders he receives and there are many that are simply rejected or ignored. This has led to the various Imperial personnel who wish for the industrial support of the Forge Ship to Jockey for priority. Bribes, favors, and pledges of support or even fealty to Lorren's master, Archmagos Erridan Kraus, are a few of the many ways the vying factions attempt to win the Logi's favor. Being a Forge Ship, there are only so many forges that can operate at any given time, normally making the production capabilities of the ship quite limited. However, using the resources he has on hand, Lorren has been able to expand his productive capabilities by "building" onto his Forge Ship by integrating 3 out-dated merchant vessels, which he requisition via savvy political maneuvers, into the hull of X-3915 and used their interiors as extra space to expand his Forges. X-3915 looks more akin to a small Space Hulk than a standard Forge Ship due to the highly unorthodox additions made to the vessel and it moves much more slowly than the already slow pace it had gone previously but the addition of 3 merchantmen's hull space has increased production of the Forge Ship by 17%, an adequate trade off in Lorren's eyes as he attempts to meet all the demands made of his Forge. Ground Strength Skitarii Elements Explorator Fleet XV-7743.II maintains an entire Macroclade of Skitarii from the Forge World of Stygies VIII. Clad in the black and red of their Forge World, these Skitarii are heavily armored and specialized for void warfare and shock assault. They act as the marines of the Explorator Fleet and make up the bulk of the fleet's infantry elements. They are meant to be utilized in conjunction with the Legio Cybernetica and Ordo Reductor elements of the fleet, making use of the Skitarii's tactical flexibility alongside the brute force and firepower of their larger allies. Led by Archmagos Erridan Kraus, the Skitarii are drawn from either Kraus' own Forge Temple or those temples sworn to serve him, making it so such a force is utterly loyal to him and him alone. In total, something akin to 12,000 Skitarii are serving in the fleet when the Macroclade is at full strength. Legio Cybernetica Elements The Legio Cybernetica elements of the Explorator Fleet number some 250 Battle-automata at full strength. The majority of these robots are Kastellan, Domitar, Castellax, and Thanatar class automata due to their size, armor, and ability to carry heavier weapons than the smaller variants. Where the Skitarii are utilized as an artisan would you a carving knife, the Legio Cybernetica are utilized as a sledgehammer; unleashed against a foe to crush them utterly. The battle robots are usually deployed en-mass to smash through enemy hard points or crush inferior foes in brutal assaults during an offensive and utilized as cornerstones of defense. These forces are commanded by Magos Dominus .... and are wielded alongside the Battle and Gun Servitors of the Fleet in their own Battle Congregation in the fleet. Ordo Reductor; Enlightened Tower Cohort The Sub-Cohort of the Order Reductor assigned to the Explorator Fleet numbers 200 Thallax and a host of heavy and super-heavy artillery pieces and Ordo Reductor Artillery. Unlike the Skitarii or Legio Cybernetica forces of the fleet, the Reductor Elements are not used as a single fighting force but instead is meant to supplement the Skitarii and Battle Automata of the fleet in the various operations that either one conducts. Acting as either the shock troops to for a spearhead or elite reserve, the Thallax are highly sought after by the commanders of the fleet to bolster their own forces. The artillery of the Ordo Reductor is also highly covetted, most especially during siege or trench warfare where either the Skitarii are Automata are failing to produce effective or efficient results. Also found within the ranks of the Ordo Reductor are countless servitors, Lexmachanics, Transmechanics, and Enginseers who man, defend, and maintain the numerous artillery pieces in the Ordo Reductor's employ. The Ordo Reductor elements are all situated within the Troop Transport vessel of the Explorator Fleet, the artillery and their personnel alone taking up a majority of the space. Commanded by Magos Reductor Xelia Veridan, the forces of the Ordo Reductor are not used lightly and never wasted on fool-hardy or vain missions. Auxilia Myrmidon Elements The Auxilia Myrmidon of the Explorator fleet number 100 Destructors and are wielded as elite troops by Archmagos Erridan Kraus. Commanded by Secutor Viktor Mikael, the Auxilia Myrmidon are raised from Kraus' own Forge Temple and are entrusted with the most vital of combat mission during military campaigns. Known as Kraus' Hounds, these troops are raised from the orphans of Kraus' Forge and are indoctrinated to venerate him as a living conduit of the Omnissiah and are therefore fanatical in their devotion to their master. Secutor Viktor Mikael was raised from the Auxilia's ranks and is zealous in his loyalty to his master just as his troops, making the Auxilia Myrmidon a highly dangerous force with which Kraus wields with great pleasure. Serving as his personal bodyguards and escorts, the Auxilia Myrmidon of the Explorator Fleet are the very extension of Kraus' will and act as his agents when no others can be trusted. Relationships Ties of Fealty Doritan - Doritan is an Arctic Alpine Death World within the Grimmax System of the Eressa Sector in the Segmentum Pacificus. The planet is a pledged to Archmagos Erridan Kraus following the Explorator Fleet's decisive role in cleansing the planet of Greenskin taint and now the mining world serves as Kraus' own fiefdom. Doritan supplies the fleet with both raw minerals and manpower to feed the Forges of X-3915 and replenish the Skitarii and Servitor losses of the fleet. In return, Explorator Fleet XV.7743.II will defend the planet from any hostile incursions and will aid in the planet's industrial and infrastructural development. Established Outposts Quotes about the Fleet Allies Enemies